The Only Reason (Sequel to Everything I Want)

Chapter 2

We arrived home and Michael helped Jessie out of the car. I carefully climbed out of the car and had to pause for a second. I gripped the car, feeling slightly nauseous.

"You alright babe?" I heard Michael ask.

I nodded without looking up. I waited for it to pass and followed Michael up the path as he opened the door. I walked in and quickly removed my jacket. Jessie ran straight for the kitchen closely followed by Michael. She was definitely his daughter. I sat down on the couch. Michael walked past behind the couch and leant over. He lightly kissed me on the cheek and whispered "I love you" softly in my ear. Jessie came back in and sat up on the couch I put my arm around her and she nestled into my side. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I felt Michael sit on the other side of me and I allowed myself to fall asleep on his shoulder.

*later*

I woke up suddenly to Jessie sitting on the floor completely absorbed in The Little Mermaid playing on the TV. I shifted slightly to nestle into Michael more but moved to quickly. I stood up and ran to the bathroom as quick as I could. I locked the door and clung to the rim of the toilet bowl with all my strength as I began to be sick. I could only have been in there for 2 minutes before there was a timid knock at the door and a slight shake of the door handle.

"Sam, open the door babe."

I stood up carefully and made my way to the door holding on to anything I could find to keep my balance. I opened the door and looked up at Michael as tears started to roll down my cheeks. He wrapped his arms loosely around my waist and ran his hand down my hair. He knew I hated being sick and I didn't often let him into the bathroom if I was. He kissed my forehead and smiled at me.

"Put something more comfortable on babe," He suggested looking down at my jeans and blouse, "while I go and get you a glass of water okay?"

I nodded and he left. I found a pair of pyjama bottoms and one of Michael's old t-shirts he'd given me and slipped into bed. I sat up and ran my hand over my tummy as Jessie and Michael came back in. Michael put the glass of water on my bedside table and then walked round to his side of the bed and held the quilt up for Jessie to climb in next to me. She climbed towards me cautiously. I held my hands out to her and she cuddled up beside me. I smoothed her hair down and kissed her gently. She looked up at me and wiped a tear from my cheek I smiled at how considerate she was.

"It's okay Mummy." She cooed and hugged me carefully. For two years I was surprised at how caring she was.

"Let's watch a film." Michael suggested.

He turned round to face us and held up 'Lilo and Stitch' and smiled before putting it into the DVD player. He knew it was mine and Jessie's shared favourite and she clapped with excitement as Michael returned to the bed. He lifted Jessie into his lap and sat next to me. He put his arm round me and I leaned into his warm chest. I love days like this when I've got him all to myself and we can just spend the day with Jessie. I don't think I managed to stay awake for the first 20 minutes of the film but woke up just as the end credits began to roll. When I opened my eyes the clock on my bedside table read one o'clock, Jessie was sat at the very end of the bed totally hooked on the film and Michael was on his phone. I shifted in the bed and he quickly put the phone down and turned his attention to me.

"Hello beautiful." He said kissing my forehead.

I smiled and rubbed my eyes and sat up.

Jessie turned round to face me.

"Mummy, I drawed you a picture." She said excitedly. She handed me a piece of paper with three disproportional stick people on and a multicoloured box and sat on Michael's lap again. "That's daddy," she said pointing to the first of the stick figures with hair drawn in green crayon, "that's me," she continued pointing to the smallest of the characters "and that's you, and that's our house." She finished and sat back smiling at me sweetly.

"I love it, you're so talented aren't you my darling, nothing like your father." I said cheekily smiling at Michael.

"Hey" said Michael, "cheap shot." He said pretending to pout and then smiling at me. "Jess? What the pink thing Mummy's holding?" he said pointing to my crayon representative.

"That's my baby sister." Jessie stated looking at Michael with wide eyes.

I nearly cried with joy at how sweet my little girl was.

"Baby sister, huh? You think mummy's gonna have a baby girl?" he asked.

"I know," she said.

"Oh yeah, how are you so sure?" I asked tickling her tummy.

"Cos I do." She said looking at her hands and then giggled.

"Would you like a baby brother?" Michael told her, which by the look on her face I don't think she liked the sound of. Michael and I didn't know the sex of the baby yet as it was too early to tell, but that didn't matter, Jessie leant across me and took the picture back she left the room and came back seconds later having added a blue circle to the picture asking if she could have both.

Michael looked at me with a sarcastic terror in his eyes. "Well that would be lovely wouldn't it?" He said with a smile but I felt as though he actually meant it. He held Jessie close and leaned over to kiss me.

I thought back to our first kiss, only a few days after we had first met, on my couch in my old house and smiled to myself as I thought about how far we had come since then.